Lovely Dreams, Lively Passions
by Darth-Joker
Summary: Eri Ayase lived a largely isolated life, greatly respected by many but with few friends. That all changed due to Honoka Kousaka. Honoka's impact on Eri's heart was immense, and it will lead into a romantic confession that will greatly impact Honoka herself. Will the two find unexpected love together, or will the challenges facing that love prove overwhelming? With Honoka narration.
1. Chapter 1

Lovely Dreams, Lively Passions

**Chapter 1 – The Confession**

About a month has passed since Muse put on its final concert. I'm really glad we did that! It was such a blast to put on a concert in front of a packed house! It also made good on an important promise I made. Perhaps best of all, was mom teasing dad about how much he cried at the concert. It made for a lot of cute and funny moments around the family Dinner table!

But about a week after we put on the concert, Kotori received another letter. She received a second chance to study overseas. This time, her mom encouraged her to take up this opportunity. Nozomi felt that maybe this particular opportunity is _meant_ to be embraced by Kotori, given that it had arose again so soon after the previous one. Nozomi said that her cards indicated that to her as well.

So Kotori really did leave on the plane this time. All of her friends from Muse saw her off, and we were all in tears over it… especially Umi, Kotori, and me! Kotori promised to send me e-mails or text messages every day, and she thankfully has been true to her word. That has made it a bit easier to move on without her physical presence in my life. Still, it is _very_ hard, and Muse is not the same with Kotori gone.

But I'm not quitting Muse, and Muse continues to practice from time-to-time. Perhaps we'll get to compete in the next Love Live! But it's not the main focus in my life right now. With the school saved, I've focused more on my school work, and I've thought a bit about my future. I love being a School Idol, and so I try to think of a realistic career that could tie into that. I _have_ become a pretty good dancer, so maybe that can lead me somewhere!

So my enthusiasm for life is still there. But I have felt a bit lonely lately. So I was glad when Eri-chan dropped in for an unexpected visit. Eri joined me in my large bedroom. I prepared and poured some tea for the two of us, and now we were sitting directly across from each other, at the small white table in my room.

"You make the most delicious tea, Honoka." Eri said, after sipping some.

"Thanks!" I replied cheerfully, "But I doubt you came here just to share some tea with me."

Eri has been unusually quiet since she entered my room after we initially exchanged warm greetings. I wouldn't say she was nervous, exactly, but she definitely had a lot on her mind!

"You're right." Eri replied, "While it's nice to drink tea with you, it's not the main reason I'm here. I'm… worried about you, Honoka."

"Oh?" I asked, genuinely surprised, "I think things are going well in Muse, and I'm doing Ok in school right now, so…"

"I know." Eri interjected, "To your credit, you've handled things very well. Much better than last time. But… I know what it's like to put on a brave face and _act_ calm and collected. Are you…?"

"I miss Kotori, of course…" I answered, starting in a low tone of voice before raising it a bit, "I'd love for her to still be here in Japan with the rest of us. But I also know I have a lot to be happy for. I have a lot of great friends! While it's sad to not be able to hang out with my _best_ friend anymore, I also don't want to get too caught up in the sadness surrounding it. I think I'd be doing a disservice to Kotori if I became _that_ sad over her not being around. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yes, I do." Eri replied, making a slight and thankfully reassuring smile over what I said, "Well, I'm relieved that you seem to be truly handling it well. How about Umi?"

"Umi has a new boyfriend." I said with a smile, "So she's doing great!"

"Oh, really?" Eri asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah." I confirmed, "Umi is a pretty private person, so there's some things she doesn't share with _everybody_ in Muse. But I'm sure she'll tell everybody else if it really gets serious between her and her new boyfriend."

"…That must be hard on you, Honoka." Eri said, "I mean, Kotori left for America. And I guess Umi doesn't have as much time to spend with you now, so…"

"I won't lie." I replied, "I have felt a bit lonely some days lately, especially on the weekends. But I don't want to be selfish about this. I want to be happy for my friends!"

Eri beamed over that. There's something I find so reassuring about her smiles. So that perked me up a bit!

"That's a great attitude to have." Eri said, before her tone became slightly playful, "But still, if your friends are going to exciting new places and making new relationships, why not you do the same? Why not get a boyfriend of your own?"

My eyes went large over that.

"I-It's not _that_ easy to do, Eri-san!" I exclaimed in shock.

"I'm sure some teenage guy out there must have taken notice of you in those Muse videos." Eri stated playfully, while winking at me, "Why not…"

"Truth be told, I'm not really into guys very much…" I instinctively interjected, wanting to end this particular line of conversation right now!

Wait… why did I let that slip?! Will Eri find out…?!

Yes, I think she will. Eri's face betrayed that she just had a "Eureka!" moment. A light-bulb had gone off in her head.

"There's not many girls our age who aren't interested in guys, Honoka…" Eri said, "Does that mean…?"

"I-I'm just not very interested in romance in general." I stated nervously, "I-I'm happy just having a lot of great friends."

"…Really?" Eri asked, in a very serious tone of voice, after shifting her eyes to the side a bit.

"I… Well…" I began in uneasy reply.

I don't like lying. I really don't. I hate pretentiousness. I love being an open, honest, and straightforward person! But I'm also scared what Eri will think of me if…

"I won't think any less of you if you're the sort of girl that likes girls more than guys, Honoka…" Eri said, in this odd tone that was like a mixture of sincere soft sympathy with excited hopefulness.

"…Really?" I asked.

Eri nodded.

I then sighed. I've never shared this with anybody before… but for some reason, I felt I should share this with Eri.

"Please keep this private between us…" I say to her.

"Of course." She replied, "I know well the value of discretion and never breaching confidentiality."

"That's good to know." I stated, "Ok, well… yeah, I do like girls _that_ way."

There was a tense silence in the air after I said that. Eri seemed to take in this new knowledge about me just as slowly as she sipped her tea. Eri seemed to be carefully considering what to say next, but otherwise she was as cool as usual. It made me feel that much more uncomfortable and anxious over what Eri might say to what I had just revealed.

"Do Kotori and Umi know this about you?" Eri asked in a low, soft tone.

"…No." I admitted in a low tone.

Eri seemed once more lost in cautious contemplation. She must think less of me for keeping this secret from Kotori and Umi. I must explain why I have done so!

"Please understand why I've kept this private from almost everyone." I said, "Umi and Kotori really are my best friends. I really do love them as dear friends! I don't want them to think that their friendship means any less to me than what it does just because it's platonic. I also don't want them to get the wrong idea about my feelings for them. I'm perfectly happy with the three of us being 'just' friends. They still mean the world to me!"

"I understand" replied Eri, making a soft smile to me, "I can relate."

This made me blink in surprise.

"How can you relate?" I asked Eri, "I mean, you couldn't relate unless you're…"

"Yes, it's because I'm a lesbian myself." Eri quickly interjected, with impressive firmness.

My eyes went wide at hearing that.

"While Nozomi _isn't_, perhaps surprisingly." Eri stated, "But Nozomi's friendship is still invaluable to me."

"I… I see." I said.

The tension in the room was growing increasingly thick, particularly as an amazing possibility took hold in my mind. But could suck a thing truly be possible! She's so beautiful, successful, smart, talented… I'm so average by comparison.

"Honoka…" Eri said, before swallowing hard, "Given what we now know about each other, there is a… _confession_… I want to make to you. It's a confession I wouldn't have made if I thought you were straight, but since you're not…"

I now felt my heart quicken ever so slightly.

"W-what confession do you want to tell me?" I asked.

Eri took in a deep breath, and answered.

"… I have a crush on you." she answered, while blushing, and shyly looking away from me.

And that confession would turn my entire world upside-down!

-a

-b

-c

_During lunch break at school, the next day._

"Honoka, you've been strangely silent all morning." Umi said, "I know that you only act like that when something is deeply troubling you. So please, let me help. What's on your mind?"

I wish I could tell Umi exactly what was on my mind, but this wasn't the right time and place to reveal that to her, given how shocking she'd probably find it. At the moment, I regretted never telling Kotori and Umi about where my… romantic interests lie. This is because I really would like to confide completely in Umi right now. But given the circumstances, I would have to play a bit coy…

"A very attractive person confessed to me yesterday." I said to Umi.

"Oh, really?" Umi answered, first looking shocked but then looking happy, "But isn't that something to be happy about, Honoka? Who knows, maybe you and this dreamy guy could even join Sakaki and I on a double-date some time!"

"I never said that I _accepted_ the confession, Umi!" I replied with a touch of irritation.

But while I was annoyed by Umi assuming I had accepted the confession, I was honestly glad she had also incorrectly assumed that it was a _boy_ that confessed to me. That would make it easier for me to discuss this with her.

"Sorry for jumping to conclusions there." Umi said, feeling some shame at doing so, as she's usually a careful thinker, "I just figured that if you found him very attractive, and he confessed to you, then…"

"I know." I quickly interjected, "It would make sense to just accept it, right? But I'm worried. I'm worried about what it might do to Muse."

"Well, I'm balancing being a member of Muse with having a boyfriend, so I don't see why you couldn't." Umi replied with a reassuring smile.

Umi was right of course. With decent time management, it wouldn't be too hard to make time for both Muse, and also a new romance. But the problem for me, of course, is that the person who confessed to me is also in Muse. But that's not something I wanted to reveal to Umi, so I just pretended to go along with her to end the discussion.

"I guess you're right." I replied to Umi while forcing a smile, "I'll probably accept the confession later today, after our practice."

"Well…" Umi said after a pause and some careful thinking, "I can see why this is difficult for you. This is the first time someone has confessed to you, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's right." I answered honestly.

"So I do get that." Umi said, "But you should be more relieved than anything, Honoka. I mean, you're almost 17 now. So it's a great time to experience your first love. You'll be more mature for it than I was at 13, but it would be a shame if you had graduated high school without first experiencing love."

"I guess you have a point." I replied, "Anyway, I'll tell you if it all works out for me!"

"I'll be rooting for you!" Umi said, with a bright smile while closing her eyes.

"Thank you, Umi." I replied warmly.

After school, Umi and I joined Eri, Nozomi, Nico, Maki, Hanayo, and Rin for some School Idol practice. Though it was obviously difficult with Eri there, I tried to focus on the practice itself, and just enjoy it. Eri and I would exchange a couple knowing glances a couple times while we practiced a stage performance, but thankfully Eri gave me a lot of space. Typically, Eri and I are right next to each other during Muse performances, but Eri had suggested that Rin and her switch spots for today. I'm not sure if Eri did this out of her own nervousness, or out of concern for me, but either way, I appreciate it.

Once practice was over, I dried myself off with a towel, and I think most of my fellow Muse members did the same. That's when Eri spoke to me for the first time today.

"Honoka…" she said to me softly, a bit more nervously than usual, "Could we chat privately in the Student Council room for a bit? There's some… club accounting I want to go over with you."

"Hey!" piped up Nico in displeasure, "_I'm_ the President of the Idol Research Club, so I should be the one meeting with you about this!"

"In fact Honoka doesn't need to be there at all." Nico stated as she tilted her head sideways, closed her eyes, and waved dismissively towards me.

I just nervously chuckled in response to that.

"Well, Nico…" Eri began in smooth response to that, as I think she came prepared for this precise objection, "I _would_ discuss this with you, but don't you have two big tests tomorrow? You do know that we need to keep up our grades in order for Muse to continue to enjoy the support of the school, right?"

"I-I guess you're right." Nico replied, trying to hide her displeasure over Eri's counterargument, behind a stern and stoic façade, "Honoka will be satisfactory as my representative. But make sure you tell me all about this meeting tomorrow, Honoka!"

"O-Of course, Nico." I replied nervously.

"So, Honoka…" Eri said, softening her voice a bit, "Please come with me."

"Right…" I replied uneasily, and while blushing a bit, suspecting what this was _really_ all about.

As Eri and I left the room, I thought I could feel Umi's gaze fall upon us. Is Umi seeing through all of this? I certainly hope not!

But that's not the important thing right now. The most important thing is how I was going to respond to Eri's confession…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – The Response**

"Honoka…" Eri said, as I slowly followed behind her into the Student Council room, and also as Eri's hand slowly slide across the table in the room, "Do you remember the first time we met in this room?"

I think that Eri was trying to break the tension in the air with that question, as it would temporarily focus my mind on the past instead of on pressing circumstances in the here and now.

"Yes, I think I do." I answered her, "It's when Kotori, Umi, and I applied to become a School Idol group!"

"That's right." Eri said, as she took the seat of the Student Council President, _her_ seat at present.

Eri was now sitting down, while I was standing diagonally off to the side of her. Eri looked up at me, with a surprisingly playful and relaxed look in her face.

"You probably found me… _scary_ back then." Eri mused.

"You were a little bit intimidating, yeah…" I replied, "But I don't see you that way now! Now I see that you're really a very warm and caring person!"

Eri's eyes, and her entire posture, relaxed a bit over what I just said.

"Thank you." Eri said, "But still, I've changed a lot since then. And you're the main reason why."

Eri looked up into my eyes with such penetrating warmth in her own. She clearly was being honest. She clearly had a crush on me. I felt my cheeks flush, my lips sag a bit, and my mind race. I wasn't sure what I should do! I definitely didn't want to hurt Eri, but…

"Like I said to you a little over a month ago…" Eri continued, while allowing her eyes to drift from mine, "I was saved by your hand. I was saved by your unshakeable resolve, and you asking me to join Muse in spite of how difficult I must have made life for you all before I joined."

"From what Umi told me, I understand why you did what you did back then." I replied to Eri, "So I don't hold it against you! And you've been a wonderful member of Muse! You've brought so much to Muse. So many good ideas… so much talent and expertise!"

As I looked into Eri's eyes, I could see her tear up a bit.

"You're so accepting, forgiving, uplifting…" Eri said, her voice very unusually cracking a bit, "So do you understand why I confessed to you?"

Intellectually, I could understand what Eri was saying. But I found it hard to accept emotionally.

"I don't really see myself that way." I replied, "I'm not very smart. I'm not talented like you, Umi, or Kotori are. I'm…"

"Entirely sincere." Eri firmly interjected, raising out of her seat and walking towards me, "Both to herself and her friends. You're hopeful, optimistic, and will pursue what you want even when great obstacles are put in your path. You're someone that… You're someone that I always want to have in my life."

My mouth opened a bit in surprise over Eri's sudden strength shown here. I could feel myself shaking a bit. I would have to make a decision very, _very_ soon! But part of me wanted to stave it off.

"I'd like that too." I replied to Eri, "But, about romance in particular… I'm worried about what that might do to Muse. Don't you think it'll be awkward for us to practice and perform together in Muse if we're also in a romance together?"

Eri sighed slightly, but also composed herself.

"Honoka…" she said, "You do know I'll be graduating soon, right? My graduation isn't far away now. Soon, I'll have to leave Muse anyway. That's partly why I confessed to you yesterday. I wanted to confess to you while we were still in high school together."

"…So have you been harboring feelings for me for a while now?" I asked nervously, but also betraying my curiosity here.

"When you reached out your hand to me, and invited me into Muse…" Eri began in reply, "That's when I became… fond of you. But it was a short time later, when you called me 'beautiful', that I could tell that my feelings for you had become romantic."

"I-I didn't mean to trouble you by complimenting you like that!" I piped up, "I just thought that any girl would like to be thought of as beautiful. I know that I would!"

"You _are_ beautiful…" Eri replied, in such an emotional voice, as a lone tear streamed down the side of her face, and she looked intensely into my eyes, "You're more beautiful than you may ever know."

Eri then leaned forward, and startled me, by kissing me on the cheek.

I then just stood there, in complete shock… Eri… **Eri had kissed me on the cheek!**

After Eri backed away, I found myself in a state of disbelief. I felt like I was in a dream! But instead of pinching myself to confirm if I was or not, I felt the side of my face, where Eri had kissed me. And sure enough I felt the moisture of her lips there!

By the time I had come to grips with what Eri had just done, she also had regained control over her emotions.

"Honoka, you now know how I feel about you…" she said to me, "I understand your concerns as it pertains to Muse, but I know that we can overcome those concerns together if you choose to accept my confession. But the decision is yours, and I'll accept whatever decision you make. So I'll give you the same advice that Nozomi once gave me…"

Eri then briefly closed her eyes, pushed back her hair with one hand, and made a very stoic expression.

"Honoka…" she continued after this short pause, "What do _you_ really want to do? If you want to accept my confession, and give romance a chance, then do that. But if you don't want that, I'll accept your rejection."

I then looked into her bright, blue sparkling eyes. Time seemed to slow in this moment. I briefly wondered if the way I felt now is how Eri felt when I extended my hand to her and invited her into Muse.

As I looked into Eri's face, I saw unusual vulnerability there. I could tell that if I rejected her, it would crush her heart, and I definitely didn't want to do that! But at the same time, did I want Eri to be my girlfriend?

She _is_ beautiful, she is very talented, she's very smart… truthfully, I don't think I'm in her league. But does that really matter if Eri wants me to be her girlfriend anyway?

…Eri is a wonderful person. That's what is most important here! I'm sure it would be fun and rewarding to grow closer to her, and to spend more time with her. I had honestly given up on romance, but maybe I should re-embrace it now.

"…I accept your confession." I said, in a low but deeply serious tone.

Eri gasped slightly at that, as though _she_ was now the person in dreamy disbelief.

"I'll promise to do everything I can to be a good girlfriend to you!" I exclaimed, while pumping one fist close to my heart, "I won't let you down!"

Eri's lips quivered a bit, and tears streamed out of her eyes.

"_**Honoka!**_" she cried, as she ran towards me, and tightly embraced me.

My own eyes watered a bit in response to Eri's emotional outpouring here. I also gingerly hugged her back.

Eri trembled a bit, while she and I were held in one another's arms. I could tell that the emotions she showed me today had been pent up for a _very_ long time. So I felt an intoxicating mix of caring, concern, desire, hope, nervousness, pressure, and _challenge_ right now. I felt a great weight being placed on my shoulders… but strangely, I also felt very happy about that.

Eri gently, even somewhat bashfully, took hold of my two hands with her two hands as we finally ended our embrace. She lovingly looked into my eyes, while I did all I could to smile and look back into her eyes with caring and warmth.

"Well, with _that_ taken care of…" I began, thinking of the perfect way to cut through the current emotional thickness, "I guess we can finally get to what this meeting is _actually_ for! What did you want to discuss with me about club accounting?"

Eri's face briefly looked like that of a blowfish's, as I could tell my question had hit squarely on her funny bone!

In mere seconds, both of us would be laughing loudly.

A few minutes later, we separated for the day, but not before making some big plans for tomorrow night!

-a

-b

-c

_Later that day, at my home…._

I felt so energized, so excited, so _a__**live**_!

So I listened to some upbeat romantic J-Pop songs in my bedroom, and hummed along with them, while I sat on my bedroom floor. As I did so, I imagined Eri and I holding hands… going dancing together… going skating together… doing so many fun things together. It made my heart feel very warm, and caused a pleasant tingling sensation to go through me.

Soon I switched from humming along to singing along, catching the attention of my younger sister, Yukiho!

"Onee-chan…" she stated, as she peered in through my slightly ajar bedroom door, looking towards me, "What's all the singing for?"

But I was so lost in the blissfulness of the moment that I didn't notice my sister at first, even as she walked into the room, and stood just behind me. But I did notice what she asked next.

"Are you trying to think of good new songs for Muse?" Yukiho asked.

"Because if so…" she continued, while smirking a bit, "I think those songs you're singing now might be a bit too slow and sappy for Muses' style."

"Oh no, I'm not trying to think up a good new song." I stated to Yukiho, while turning my head and smiling widely at her, "I'm just enjoying the music, that's all!"

Yukiho blinked in surprise at my response.

"Wow…" she said after a brief pause, "You seem _really_ happy! I mean… more than usual! Did something big happen?"

"I have a big date on Friday!" I eagerly answered, still feeling thrilled over that.

"Really?!" Yukiho asked in shocked reply.

I cheerfully nodded at Yukiho while humming an affirmative response.

"Who are you going out with?" Yukiho then asked.

"I'm going out with Er…" I began in reply, before thankfully catching myself, "..errrr… It's a secret!"

Unfortunately, I don't think Yukiho appreciated my evasive answer.

"Come on, I want to know!" she exclaimed, while making a pouty and slightly frustrated face.

"Sorry, but my lips are sealed!" I replied, as I turned off my music, and stood up.

"I'm telling mom about your date if you don't tell me who you're going out with!" Yukiho exclaimed.

I decided to have some fun with this, so I just started skipping out of my bedroom and down the hallway. I decided I'd go for a short jog in order to keep Yukiho in the dark!

"_La la la la_… I can't hear you!" I sang while I skipped away from Yukiho.

"**Onee-chan!**" Yukiho protested, but in vain.

I don't like keeping Yukiho in the dark, but for now at least, I wanted to be very discreet about my new relationship with Eri. I still feel very excited about it, though!

-a

-b

-c

_The next morning, Friday morning, at school…_

I felt so pumped for my big plans this evening! I've never been on an actual _date_ before, and honestly, I thought I'd end up graduating high school without ever getting to have one. But thankfully I met Eri, and that combined with her confession has left me with a spring in my step!

I was humming a tune, and skipping along down the hallways of my school to class. I could tell that some people were looking at me like I had ten heads, but I didn't care, because I was so happy!

I waved and said good morning to everybody, but took special time for three classmates that have always been wonderfully supportive of Muse and I!

"Hideko, Fumiko, Mika, morning!" I shouted to them, as I pirouetted around them.

I wondered if I looked like a ballerina as I did that. That would be amusingly fitting given who I've going out on a date with this evening, he he!

"Today is the best day ever!" I exclaimed, as I continued to skip along to class.

I could just barely make out the three girls voicing concerns over me as I continued on my way.

"Wow…" one of them said, "I haven't seen Honoka like that since…"

"She mistakenly thought she had only _dreamed_ about the school closure announcement." another one of them chimed in, nervously.

"I just hope her happiness is based on something _real_ this time." the third one stated.

Thankfully, it _is_ based on something real this time!

I can't wait for my first date to begin! I hope it'll be a magical evening for Eri and me…


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – The First Date**

The school day was finally over! I could feel such incredible anticipation in my heart as I knew that my date with Eri would soon begin! I had such nervous energy just coursing all through my body, unlike anything I've felt since Muse put on that big concert in front of a full stadium!

But I still made a point to wait for Umi to leave first. I told Umi that I had accepted the confession of the attractive person who had confessed to me, but I was still leading Umi to believe that this person was a guy. I didn't technically _lie_ to Umi, but I did make a point to allow Umi's wrong assumption to go without correction. I felt a bit badly about that, but I felt it was necessary for now at least.

Anyway, a couple minutes after Umi left, I did so as well. So I was the last person to leave my classroom.

I could feel such exhilaration building up within me as I walked down the school corridor, and later towards the opened gates to the school. A small part of me was worried that I'd disappoint Eri, but the bigger part of me just wanted to seize this day and make the most out of a wonderful situation! So it was with an eager smile that I stepped outside the gates to the school.

Then I looked about for Eri, swerving my head and feet about in attempts to locate her.

"Eri-san?" I asked, "Are you there? Where are…?"

Then I heard a sudden and rustling sound come from behind me. A split-second after, I saw darkness as two elegant hands closed themselves over my eyes.

"Guess who?" I heard a familiar voice whisper playfully to me.

"G-Geez!" I protested, as I managed to pull myself away from her hands and arms, while turning to face her, "You'll make me even more nervous like that!"

"That's too bad." Eri replied, with a shy smile, "I was hoping it would loosen you up a bit for our date! Well, and maybe loosen me up as well…"

"You're nervous too?" I asked.

"Of course I am." Eri replied, "This is my first _real_ date. And since I've been the aggressor so far, it's up to me to make sure it's a good one."

"Don't worry about that." I stated, perking myself back up, "I know there's a movie you wanted to take me to this evening, but I'll handle everything before then. I've already planned it all out!"

"Oh?" asked Eri with a grin and a raised eyebrow, "I know from experience that _your_ plans tend to be rather ambitious. This should be entertaining! Let's go!"

"Right!" I replied enthusiastically.

Eri and I agreed that we'd just wear our student uniforms for this date, since that would give both of us one less thing to worry about. Eri probably has nicer clothes than me, so I was quick to agree with her suggestion there.

"Just so you know…" I stated with a slight blush, only a couple minutes into our date, and after a bit of silence, "I didn't really mind the surprise greeting you gave me back there. While it made me nervous for a second, I now feel like it worked all of that nervousness out of me!"

"It's kind of like jumping into the deep end of a pool instead of wading slowly into the shallow end." Eri replied, "You get used to cold water more quickly if you jump right in. So sometimes it's best to just take the plunge."

"Given how Umi often criticizes me for not looking before I leap, this 'take the plunge' approach probably works best for me!" I responded, before chuckling in embarrassment.

Eri chuckled in turn.

Soon we arrived at the first stop on our date. It's a place with a game that I just have to show Eri!

"Dance Explosion?" Eri asked, as she and I stood close to the machine in question.

"It's a game that a few of my friends in class showed me shortly after I had quit being a school idol." I replied, "Playing it cheered me up some, and me doing well at it gave me some second thoughts about being a School Idol."

"So we have this game to thank for Muse still existing?" Eri asked rhetorically, "Yes, I guess I should show some thanks for that by giving it a try!"

This was great! I was really eager to see how Eri would do at this, given how much of her life had been devoted to dancing in one way or another!

Eri definitely would not disappoint, as she and I danced alongside each other in this Dance Explosion competition.

"Wow…" I exclaimed, as my eyes grew large and sparkled over Eri's score, "That's the fifth highest score anybody has ever recorded at this game. That's incredible!"

"It's a surprisingly good game for testing dancing ability." Eri replied, "It requires a lot of flexibility and quick, nimble movements. I'm glad I did well at it. But really, Honoka, there's no need to be so awed by my score, as your own score is very impressive!"

I myself had placed the ninth highest score anybody has ever recorded at this game. The last time I played it, I got off to a poor and slow start. It seems that getting into it right off the bat makes a big difference.

"Being a school idol really does make one a good dancer, huh?" I asked Eri with a smile, allowing myself to feel some pride over my own score.

"Yes, I guess it does" Eri replied, "Maybe I underestimated the dancing skill required to be a school idol. The difference between fifth and ninth is not huge. Even without ballet dancer training, your dancing talent is very close to my own, Honoka."

"That's partly because you helped trained Muse." I responded, "Our dancing became much better after you started training us like that, Eri!"

Eri blushed at my compliment, and I found myself blushing in turn given this shy but romantic look on her face.

"Thank you, Honoka…" Eri replied softly, before perking up again, "Well, our date is going great so far! What's next?"

"Let's get some ice cream and do some shopping!" I exclaimed in reply.

-a

-b

-c

Eri and I then headed off to a large shopping center that thankfully also had an ice cream store at it.

We ate some crepes, skipped around a lot, laughed and smiled a bit, and did a lot of window shopping. We also played one of those crane games. I took aim at the big Alpaca stuffed doll. I was really pleased and proud over getting it on the first try!

Eri took aim at a cute, green bird stuffed doll. She also managed to capture her target on the first try!

We then exchanged dolls so they could serve as mementoes of our first date.

"It's pretty ironic that I ended up with an Alpaca doll…" Eri said with a wry grin.

"Oh?" I asked, a bit worried that she was displeased by my choice, "You don't like it? I aimed for it for you because it was the biggest of the dolls!"

"Then I'll definitely cherish it." Eri said, "Don't worry, it's a great memento. Do you like the green bird doll?"

"Yeah, it reminds me of Kotori!" I said with a laugh.

Eri and I then exchanged smiles before continuing on with our date. Now it was time for some _real_ shopping!

We tried on some clothes, and also had some fun as we kinda modelled for each other. Eri used her cellphone to take some pictures of me making these flashy funny poses in several outfits, while she had such impeccable poise as I took pictures of her in different outfits! Each of us ended up with some great photos out of it. After doing this for about a half-hour, we decided on which outfit we'd buy and change into for the remainder of the date! We both settled on one-piece dresses that came with matching hair accessories. We then packed our student uniforms into carrying bags that we also bought while shopping. Eri bought a green carrying bag, while I bought a blue one.

"Red definitely suits you, Honoka." Eri said, as I skipped out of the clothing store with my new long, plaid-red dress on, along with matching hairclip.

"Your new bluish-purple dress really brings out your eyes, Eri!" I replied, as she walked alongside me in such a dress, along with matching hair scrunchie to maintain her pony-tail.

Eri and I then ate out at the burger joint that I love to get burgers at.

"I know it's nothing fancy, but at least it's a safe choice." I stated, as I rolled back the wrapping around my burger.

"It's fine." Eri replied, "This place does make great burgers!"

However, there was a slightly disappointed look on Eri's face after she took a couple bites from her burger.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"No, not at all." Eri replied with a pleasant smile, "I'm really enjoying our time together. It's just… _well_…"

I could only make a puzzled look towards Eri as I chewed my burger.

"I-It's nothing." Eri stated, with an unusual smile for her that made me think of Kotori trying to hide things from me.

"Besides, the movie should resolve that for us…" Eri said with a sensuous smile, and a bit below our breath.

"Oh, right, what movie are we going to?" I asked, "I'm eager to see what you've chosen for us to watch."

"First of all, thanks for letting me make the choice of movie for us to watch together." Eri said, "A lot of dates hinge on this sort of thing after all."

"I have pretty broad taste." I stated, "I like romance, comedy, action… even a little bit of horror from time to time, just nothing _too_ gorey of course…"

"Don't worry. I'm confident that you'll like the movie I've picked out for us." Eri stated, "Well, let's go!"

Eri and I then left to head off towards the movie theaters.

-a

-b

-c

"Lyrical Nanoha, StrikerS…" I stated, repeating the movie name that Eri shared with me.

"It's a live-action version of a popular animated show." Eri stated.

I couldn't help but giggle here.

"What's so funny?" Eri asked.

"I never imagined that you'd be into magical girl shows, Eri!" I replied.

"I-Is there something wrong with that?" Eri asked.

"No, not at all." I replied, but then choosing to be a bit playfully teasing here, "I liked them a lot to… _when I was a kid_..."

"Anyway, it's the sci-fi elements of this movie that I'm the most interested in." Eri stated.

"_Of course _it is." I said, while making a sly grin and knowing eyes.

"Honoka!" Eri protested.

I couldn't help but laugh over her flustered protest, while Eri blushed and grinned a bit while going "Geez…"

Thankfully, the teasing didn't bother her much, and we soon took our seat.

Soon Eri and I were inside the movie theater, sitting next to each other. I had the largest size popcorn that they offered, and a large chocolate bar with a large drink. Eri had a small popcorn and a medium drink.

"How do you eat like that and stay so slim?" Eri asked me in a whisper, once we were inside the movie theater, sitting next to each other.

"Well, I'm pretty active, so I guess that makes up for it." I replied in a whisper, "Anyway, don't worry, I'll share some popcorn with you if you get hungry."

That offer would lead to some romantic hand-holding later on during the movie's more romantic scenes… Much to my surprise, the movie did have some romantic scenes between its two main female characters! I wonder if…?

After the movie was over, Eri and I shyly walked out of the movie theater. There was a couple times our fingers had entwined when we both dug into my large popcorn container for popcorn. Each of those two times, we allowed our fingers to play with each other's hands a bit, and we also held hands for a bit. It had left me feeling warm. It had caused some nervousness to come back for me, and Eri probably felt the same way. But it also felt really nice to touch and hold Eri's hand like this…

"D-Did you enjoy the movie?" Eri asked me.

"Yeah, it had everything!" I replied, "Action, suspense, drama, a really funny villain…"

"He wasn't the nicest of doctors, was he?" Eri asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't want to get a check-up from him!" I replied.

Eri and I then laughed a bit over that.

"Well, it's getting late." Eri said, "So if it's Ok with you, can I… walk you home now?"

"Sure." I replied, feeling my heart become soothed by the romantic tone to Eri's voice.

Eri and I slowly walked towards my home, with the starry night sky and glistening half-moon contributing to the enchanting feeling of this walk. We had been quiet for a bit, so I decided to break the tension in the air by talking about the movie we had just watched.

"I think I know why you were looking forward to this movie." I said to Eri.

"Oh and why's that?" Eri asked.

"You're a lot like that blonde character named Fate!" I said, "Fate is strong, swift, smart, decisive… she only says what needs to be said, and she's so smooth!"

"I-I'm very flattered that you think I'm like that." Eri said, "While I certainly don't think that much of myself, it is true that I identify a lot with Fate. But she isn't my _favorite_ character in the movie."

"That's a surprise." I replied, "If I had to pick a favorite, I'd probably pick Fate! Who's your favorite character in the movie, Eri?"

"It's the character that _you_ remind me of, Honoka…" Eri replied in this dreamy tone of voice.

"There's a character in that movie that's like me?" I asked, startled by Eri's words here, "Well, I guess I'm a bit like Subaru…"

"No, that's not the character you remind me of." Eri stated.

We were now just a couple blocks from my home.

"Hey, let's sneak down that alleyway for a second." Eri said, "So we can properly finish our conversation before we end our date."

"Right." I reply, "Besides, my sister thinks I'm dating a guy tonight, so it's probably best if she doesn't see you. We might want to part ways in this alleyway anyway!"

"Ok." Eri replied.

Eri and I then sneaked down an alleyway near my home. Thankfully, nobody was in the alleyway at the time, and that gave us some privacy.

Eri then turned about to face me, and our faces were pretty close to each other's.

"Now let me explain which character you remind me of…" Eri stated, "You're someone who's great at befriending people, even if they started out being against you. You're someone who's great at realizing people's inner potential, and making that blossom. You're a strong leader that people look up to. You're someone who never gives up when she sets her mind to something! It should now be very clear which character in the StrikerS movie you remind me of, Honoka…"

"I-I'm afraid I still don't know." I replied shyly, a bit overwhelmed by Eri's compliments, "Do you really think all that about me? I don't see myself that way."

"That might be the one way you're _different_ from this character." Eri stated with a pleasant grin, "But aside from that, you're just like her. And so, Honoka, I have a dream…"

I could feel a strange and unfamiliar tension growing in the air. I could feel my heart start to race. I could tell that Eri's heart was starting to race as wel1. I think that something big is about to happen!

"My dream is this…" Eri stated, as she gently placed one hand on the side of my head, affectionately touching my hair.

"I want you, Honoka, to be the Nanoha to my Fate…" Eri stated.

And then it happened. Eri slowly and carefully leaned her head and neck downwards and slightly to the side. Her lips parted. My lips instinctively parted in turn, as my heart was racing so hard and fast!

I tightly closed my eyes, and held my hands at my chest.

Eri… kissed me. We kissed each other…

My heart melted, my mind swirled… Passionate love took hold much like Eri's loving arms did as they wrapped around me.

And so my first romance had truly begun…


End file.
